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In case you haven’t read it already somewhere in the vasty vastness of the World Wide Webster, Bettercreme is all the range in some circles. Since I’m not one to miss out on all the latest and greatest (scrunchies are still in, right?), I thought I’d give it a whirl to see what all the hubbub is about. After all, if there’s something out there better than buttercream, it behooves us all to jump on the bandwagon lest we be left behind once again (Don’t ask. It involved Sea World and my sister. Very traumatic).

I’m not sure if a rose by any other name is still the same, but I’ve seen Bettercreme used interchangeably with Better Cream, Better Crème, Butr Cream, Frosting Pride, etc…. I’ve also seen correction after correction that one is not the other. Since Bettercreme is what I could get my hands on without unduly inconveniencing myself, that’s what I purchased. After sitting in the freezer for a few weeks because I was scared (What if it is better? What if I wasted my money? You know- all that psychological chicky nonsense.) I sucked it up and tried it out for my daughter’s bday cake. I certainly couldn’t use it for the first time on a client’s cake and I knew this cake would already be too much for us to consume without eating it at every meal for the next week, so what better time than now?

Before we start, a bit of a disclaimer: who knows if I actually did this right? I tried to follow all the info I read when I made it, but things tend to happen in my kitchen and the old grayer-all-the-time brain matter isn’t quite what it used to be concerning retained info. Sure, I could have collected all sorts of notes, studied them, created a step-by-step instruction sheet, but why do that when you can wing it? My other disclaimer is this: every one has different tastes. What I love you may find nauseating and vice-versa. My chemical overload may be your fresh as pure cow’s milk nirvana. To each their own, and as my mamma says, “It takes all kinds to make the world go round.”

Now, for the process. Step one: read the carton. I’m smart like that. Step two: realize you forgot to thaw it so set it on the counter to thaw while you continue making the cake.

Now, kvetch a little bit because you didn’t chill your bowl and beaters. Then decide to think like Martha and put ice in a bowl with water to place under the mixer bowl so it will whip faster. Spill water everywhere trying to get the bowl of ice water under the mixer bowl and get the whole ghetto set-up on the mixer. Pour off some of the water and repeat. Try it one more time for good measure and then give up because you realize this is taking more time than if you had gone ahead and chilled the stuff before you tried channeling Martha. Maybe I’m not so smart after all?

After giving that up, pour the amount you need in the mixer bowl, attach your handy-dandy whisk, and start the mixer. I read that you can flavor and color this stuff, so I carefully added a tablespoon of good vanilla and some green gel coloring. Whip, whip, whip and check periodically to see how stiff it’s getting. When it reaches stiff peak (that’s when you lightly dip your beater or a spoon onto the top of the mixture and lift straight up. If the peak doesn’t form, keep whipping. If the peak stands straight up, it’s too stiff to use for icing AKA hard peak. If the peak is stiff but the top of it flops over, it’s juuussst right, Goldilocks.) it’s ready to use-almost. First, take the bowl off the mixer, grab a spatula, and very lightly fold the mixture to ensure it’s completely whipped and all of the coloring is mixed in- that is, it’s all the same color without any blotches of lighter or darker frosting. There- all done. It’s ready to use for whatever you want. I thought I took pictures of this process but they seem to have disappeared in the Never-Never Land of my computer files. If you’re lucky, they’ll show up before I post this. If not, use your vivid imagination.

Onward towards the review part! I smeared it on the glass I was using,

torted the cake and filled it with the frosting,

placed the cake in the glass,

and iced the top of the cake with it.

Per usual, the color darkened over time.

No problemo. After all, she’s just turning 21. She’s not supposed to know what a Margarita looks like just yet. If she does, and she’s smart, she keeps that bit of info to herself, right? So, no problemo.

The texture is definitely lighter than buttercream. It’s closer to a whipped cream in texture, which is cool. Heavy frosting isn’t always appropriate. After all, can you imagine Strawberry Shortcake with buttercream? I think not! It’s light, it’s fluffy, it can’t be smoothed completely, it doesn’t crust (and I expected all that), and it tastes…

Blech!

It tastes like chemicals. Yes, I’m quite used to artificial sweeteners, thank you very much. Splenda and Equal taste sweet to me. I have altered what’s left of my brain synapses so they think it’s sweet and not all chemically tasting. This stuff, however, tasted awful to me. No, I didn’t expect it to taste like buttercream. I expected it to taste similar to sweetened whipped cream. Lest you think it’s my palate that is in error, let me tell you who else tried it and their thoughts.

Hubby- ick!

Daughter- what is this stuff? It’s gross.

Son- disgusting.

Hubby’s coworkers on whom I pawned off the cake: one dip of the finger and they wouldn’t touch it anymore.

All that cake into the trash. Wasted. What a shame. It’s almost a sin to waste cake, isn’t it? Nevertheless, not even I, who will eat darned near anything that approaches junk food, ate it.

Interestingly, the color started to separate over time. Perhaps I added too much coloring? Perhaps it’s not stable enough to stay together? I dunno. All I know is that it started separating even though it was kept in the ‘fridge most of the time (it’s not shelf stable). Take a look at the previous pic again. Don’t look at the top, look at the side.

See the darker green areas? Dang it! Separated like your kids when their arguing gets on your nerves.

A lot of people seem to like it. Not me, not my fam, and not 12-ish coworkers. It’s a dud over here. If you’ve tried it and had better results, let me know. If I did something wrong, let me know that, too. Heck, if you tried it and had the same results, I would appreciate you telling me so I know I am not alone. For now, the remainder shall sit in my freezer until I “gift” to my partner in cake. After all, there’s no point in both of us spending our hard earned pod dwelling money trying stuff.

6 Responses to “Bettercreme: A Better Cream?”

Hi. I just came across your blog while researching Bettercreme. I think you made the cake correctly, because I tried a Buttercreme cake today. And, I can say it was by far, the grossest icing I have ever had. I bought it at Pathmark, and ask the bakery worker about it, having never tried it. He said he’s never had any complaints and everyone loves it. Well not me! It tasted like chemicals. My grandma and I were even more grossed out when the cake “repeated” on us, bringing back the chemical flavor. I think I will stick to good old sweet, fattening buttercream icing. So most likely the chemical flavor wasn’t a mistake on your end. The cake in the photo does look good though. Happy Baking!

Thank heavens! Voices of reason!
I, too, read tons of rapturous reviews of Bettercreme. I went crazy looking for it. I had to have it!
Disgusting. What’s all the hubbub?
As you say, different strokes for different folks.
I would also never use Cool Whip to cover a cake either.
I’m a Plugra/Valrhona/Madagascar Vanilla kind of gal. And real cream too!
Chemical cocktails don’t do it for my taste buds either.
It actually amazes me how all of Cake Central is in love with this product.

I been baking for 20 years. This is what most stores use for whipped cream frosting. I agree If you eat to much it does taste chemically, but I have alot of people who ask for it. Im making a wedding cake with it in just a couple weeks. Im sorry it wasn’t what you thought. As for the color separating yes it will do that if its made to WET with other liquids such as a liquid extract or liquid color. Ive never made my bowl or beater cold when making it I use it straight out of the fridge. And after you whip it and put it on a cake it is shelf stable for up to 5 days no I wouldn’t leave it sit in 100 degree weather but room temperature is fine. Again sorry its not what you thought.

I use it all the time and I use all kinds of color and flavors and have never had the problems you ran into…ever, except color darking but happens in all icing. True some people don’t like it but those are the people that don’t like whipped icing…

When I worked as a cake decorator and bakery manager, I used a product called “wonder whip.” I loved this and worked with it often. I put it into parfaits, cakes, cookies, pies, crumbles, almost everything. When I took over the bakery, they were using better cream which had a weird chemically-marshmallowy flavor. It also curdled much faster. I switched to wonder whip and, though they’re seemingly the same, there is an immense difference.